Meetu Singh
Nepal’s History, Culture, and Geopolitical Significance
Nepal, a historic kingdom nestled between India and Tibet, has a rich and complex past. In early times, it consisted of many small states, often ruled by the Newar dynasty. The Newars, still residing in the Kathmandu Valley, shaped a vibrant culture influenced by Sanskrit and written in the Shriiharśa (Bengali) script. In the eighteenth century, Prithvinarayan Shah of Gorkha unified these fragmented states, establishing the modern Nepali kingdom. By 1773, the Gorkhas expanded into Udayan and the Terai, but conflict with British India ended in defeat under General Octerlony. The 1816 Sugouli Treaty forced Nepal to surrender Garhwal and Kumaon, while dividing the Terai—its northern portion, Madhesh, remaining Nepali.
Despite such upheavals, Nepal retained deep cultural and social ties with India. Language reflects this legacy: Maithili was once the state language under the Newars, but after Gorkha rule, Gorkháli—today’s Nepali—became official. Nepal remains linguistically diverse, home to Magar, Sherpa, Rai, Gurung, Tibetan, Lepcha, Newari, and Madheshi dialects. Culturally, Hinduism and Buddhism coexist harmoniously, with temples often shared by both faiths.
Geographically, Nepal offers striking contrasts: the fertile Terai mirrors northern India, the central hills combine Indian and Tibetan influences, and the Himalayan belt reflects Mahayana Buddhist traditions. The north also hosts Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak.
Though blessed with forests, minerals, and vast water resources, Nepal has faced economic underdevelopment, leading many to migrate to Darjeeling, Sikkim, Bhutan, and beyond. Today, with democracy, education, and youth aspirations rising, Nepal is poised to harness its natural wealth, strengthen global ties, and build a resilient, modern republic.
Nepal’s Political Leadership in last 10 years
For the past 10 years, Nepal has been ruled by the same three elderly leaders – Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal – who have effectively taken up the post of prime minister on a rotating basis. Between them, they have led the country on 12 separate occasions.
September 4, 2025
On 4 September 2025, Nepal’s government ordered the shutdown of 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Snapchat, citing non-compliance with new registration rules under the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. Officials said the move aimed to enforce a Digital Services Tax and stricter VAT rules on foreign e-service providers. Critics, however, argued the ban was politically motivated, triggered by a viral trend exposing the privileges of politicians’ children, popularly dubbed the “Nepo Kid” issue.
The ban struck at Nepal’s youth, who face 20% unemployment and rely heavily on online work, with remittances already forming 33% of GDP. Social media had become both a livelihood and an outlet for frustration, especially among Gen Z, who make up much of Nepal’s population. With an average annual income of just USD 1,400, public anger grew as elites flaunted wealth online, fueling widespread protests.
The Gen-Z revolution.
In September 2025, Nepal was rocked by mass protests, largely driven by Generation Z students and young citizens. The immediate trigger was a nationwide social media ban, but discontent ran deeper, fueled by anger over corruption, misuse of funds, and the lavish lifestyles of political elites. What began as peaceful demonstrations quickly grew into a nationwide call for accountability and reform.
Tens of thousands filled Kathmandu’s Maitighar Mandala and the federal parliament area in New Baneshwor. The protests, initially organized by Hami Nepal—an NGO known for earthquake relief—escalated after a stone struck a CCTV camera. Organizers accused political party cadres and “external forces” of hijacking the movement, but condemned the government’s heavy-handed response, including live ammunition.
Leaderless but unified, the protests intensified as citizens clashed with security forces. Tear gas, water cannons, and curfews followed. By September 10, over 20 people were killed, thousands detained, and mass prison breaks occurred, ultimately forcing Nepal’s Prime Minister and Home Minister to resign.
Nepal was Burning
The protests in Nepal escalated into widespread violence across Kathmandu and other regions, with demonstrators targeting major political and government sites. Residences of the prime minister, president, ministers, and MPs were set ablaze, while the parliament building itself was torched. Party headquarters of the UML and Nepali Congress were vandalized, with flags stripped and burned. Security forces, including the Nepali Army, evacuated leaders to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), which was soon occupied by the army after protesters attempted to block politicians from fleeing. The closure stranded hundreds of passengers, with international flights diverted or canceled.
Media and infrastructure also came under attack. Kantipur media house, the Hilton Hotel, and the Ministry of Health building were set on fire, while servers of news outlets were destroyed. Political resignations followed, with ministers and MPs across parties stepping down.
Violence spread beyond Kathmandu. Residences of senior leaders—including former prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prachanda, and Jhala Nath Khanal—were attacked and set on fire, leaving family members injured. Provincial buildings in Koshi, Karnali, and Rupandehi were torched, while Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel was assaulted by protesters.
Prisons in multiple districts were stormed, enabling mass jailbreaks. Government offices, police stations, and even commercial sites like Chandragiri Cable Car and CG Electronics were also burned.
Nepals Pro Monarchy protest
On February 19, 2025, Nepal marked the 1951 Revolution with a video speech by former King Gyanendra Shah, who criticized government corruption and instability, urging unity and sacrifice for national progress. Though he avoided directly calling for monarchy’s return, his remarks fueled speculation about a royal revival. Pro-monarchy protests quickly surged, drawing an estimated 20,000 demonstrators chanting support for the king. Public frustration has grown during 17 years of republican rule, marked by 13 governments, corruption, economic hardship, and joblessness. A 2024 Himalmedia survey indicated nearly half of Nepalis favor reinstating the Hindu state and monarchy.
New Government
After instructing his Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) ministers not to resign, Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli himself stepped down and took refuge at an army barracks in Shivapuri, Budhanilkantha.
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki, strongly backed by Nepal’s Gen Z youth, was sworn in as interim prime minister, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the country’s history. Soon after her appointment, President Ram Chandra Poudel dissolved parliament and announced that fresh elections would be held on 5 March.
Solutions to Nepal’s Problems Based on a Proutist Approach
The issues in Nepal are interlinked, requiring a holistic socio-economic framework. Progressive Utilisation Theory (Prout), developed by Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar in 1959, offers such a view. Prout criticises the exploitation of capitalism and the centralisation of communism, promoting progressive use of resources, decentralised economies and balanced development that integrates material, intellectual and spiritual progress. It emphasises five basic principles: (1) limiting individual wealth accumulation to collective benefit; (2) maximum utilisation and rational distribution of resources; (3) holistic development of human capabilities; (4) balanced adjustment in utilisation; and (5) progressive methods suited to time, place and context. In the context of Nepal, Prout promotes self-reliant socio-economic units (samaaj), cooperatives and guarantee of minimum needs (food, clothing, housing, education, health) to enable equitable development without external dependency.
Below is a Prout-based solution framework for the context of Nepal, formulated through decentralized planning, ethical leadership and progressive utilization.
Economic Solution: Build Self-Sufficient Local Economies
Nepal’s economy is affected by dependence on remittances, low industrial production and skills mismatch, leading to large-scale migration. Prout addresses this problem by decentralizing economic control to local socio-economic units based on Nepal’s diverse geographical and cultural characteristics—such as the Himalayan, hilly and Terai regions—ensuring progressive use of resources for local needs.
Guarantee and Rational Distribution of Minimum Needs: Implement a national policy that ensures every citizen has access to basic needs, funded by rational redistribution of wealth (in accordance with Prout’s first principle, such as taxing excessive accumulation). This will reduce poverty and inequality, and local cooperatives will prevent corruption by managing distribution. For example, increase food security by subsidizing agriculture in the fertile Terai, thereby reducing dependence on imports.
Cooperative-based industry and agriculture: Move from an export-led model to balanced sectors: primary (agriculture, optimal utilization through sustainable technology), secondary (agro-industry, hydropower), and tertiary (tourism, services). Create worker-owned cooperatives in sectors such as hydropower and herbal medicines, which make progressive use of Nepal’s abundant water and biodiversity resources (in accordance with Principles 2-4). This will create jobs, stop brain drain, and address the problem of low productivity by providing vocational training to youth in line with local capacity.
Multi-objective development plans: Adopt Proud-inspired integrated plans for regional planning, which combine infrastructure, education, and employment projects. For example, develop eco-tourism in mountainous areas and invest in disaster-resilient infrastructure to reduce environmental risks. Limit foreign investment to non-exploitative partnerships, prioritizing local ownership and avoiding debt traps from neighbors such as China or India.
This approach could accelerate growth beyond current projections by stimulating internal demand and reducing the volatility of remittances.
Social Solutions: Holistic Human Development
Social divisions in Nepal, including gender and caste inequalities, limit progress, and inadequate investment in children worsens inter-generational poverty. Prout’s emphasis on the use of physical, mental, and spiritual capacities (Principle 3) promotes inclusive education and moral upliftment.
Decentralize Education and Health: Establish local society-based schools and clinics that integrate Prout’s Neo-Humanism to promote moral education and gender equality that combat caste bias. Allocate more budget for children and marginalized groups, ensuring universal access as a minimum requirement.
Community empowerment and anti-exploitation: Create cooperatives for women and indigenous groups in handicrafts and farming, rationally distribute profits for economic independence. Address brain drain by encouraging return migrants through Prout-inspired incentives such as land grants for cooperative enterprises, thereby turning migration into a skills-import mechanism.
Cultural integration: Progressively adapt access methods to preserve Nepal’s multicultural fabric (Principle 5), promote social cohesion by using spiritual practices such as yoga and meditation in community programs, and reduce protest-induced unrest.
Political solutions: Moral leadership and decentralized governance
Political instability results from corruption and elite capture, which fuels protests and governance failures. Prout advocates sat-vipra (morally strong) leadership and a non-partisan system to prioritize collective welfare.
Federalism with Prout Principles: Strengthen Nepal’s federal structure by devolving power to socio-economic units, ensuring collective acceptance for wealth policies through transparent local assemblies (Principle 1). Implement anti-corruption measures, such as asset disclosure for leaders, that align with Prout’s rational distribution.
Issue-Driven Coalitions: Build coalitions among stakeholders for reforms, particularly focusing on youth-led initiatives that address issues such as dignity and employment, as seen in recent uprisings. Promote electoral systems that prioritize ethical candidates, thereby reducing instability.
Environmental Solutions: Sustainable Use
Climate risks and resource mismanagement threaten Nepal’s development. Prout’s optimal use principle (2) calls for eco-friendly practices.
Clean Production and Circular Economy: Adopt Prout-inspired multi-objective plans for renewable energy (such as micro-hydro cooperatives) and afforestation, thereby reducing dependence on petroleum. Integrate circular economy policies into waste management to align with progressive use.
Adaptation planning: Use local adaptation plans linking climate risks to everyday resource management, ensuring balanced adjustment (Principle 4).
Implementation roadmap
Start with pilot societies in stable areas, expand through national policy reforms. Monitor progress through Prout’s adaptive methods, and include international support for capacity building only. This framework can transform Nepal into a self-reliant, equitable society that holistically addresses root causes, not just symptoms.
References
Discourses on Iran – Sri Lanka – Bhutan – Nepal Electronic Edition -9
Daily Newspapers – Times of India, The Hindu
Proutistic Views on the problems of Nepal (an article in Hindi) by Karan Singh
Wikipedia description on Nepal issue
Meetu Singh
